The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-08-04

tered sect had leng ago given the structure
ever to decay; the voice of exhortation and
OF sacred song had been hushed; the pulpit
was now white monument of desolation,
| while the keyboard of the crumbling organ
was the playground Of an army Of rats.
In the open space before the altar
placed the pulpit desk. By the faint light
OF the night lamp / traced, on the bare oak
| floor, a circle with water taken from run
ming stream that / had crossed. Conform
ing closely to the instructions in the Greek
manuscript, which / had brought with me,
| and standing within the halo Of radiance
cast by the light inside the circle, l pre-
pared for the ordeal In an unsteady voice
repeated the first words of the incanta-
| tion.
Iwaited an instant, but there was no re-
sponse. Moistening my dry lips, uttered
! the secon call il q hrmer voice.
Then strange thing happened. The
| fame of the night lamp heightened beyond
| the chimney-top, remained smokeless for
an instant, and then slowly resumed its
normal height. / repeated the words and
the flames rose and fell three times. The
sense OF dread and fear deserted me. 1
grew bolder as the words of the Greek
priestess fell from my tongue; my pulse
beat strongly; my every faculty seemed
endowed with abnormal vigor, and every
drop Of blood impelled from my heart was
filed with new life.
Suddenly there came the rustling Of gar
ments and the sound OF footballs just be-
yond the circle; whisper foated from the
choir-loft, and out of the darkness low,
sweet melody broke from the ghostly or
gan pipes. Spirit fingers swept the keys,
until, under the magic touch, they made
the music of march, to whose deep dia-
pIson, magnifed a thousand fold in echoes,
an unseen army marshaled. A multitude
of eyes looked down upon me from the
space beyond the organ.
The lamp upon the pulpit desk burned
with wonderful brilliancy now. The bare
church walls had disappeared to give way
to limitless space, peopled with the ele-
mental host that had summoned. GRAY
shadows grouped themselves beyond the
circle; they were indistinct, and the facial
lines of the strangely-hooded creation
seemed to blend with the surrounding
ether. 1t was mighty, voiceless host.
The tri i.mphal tones of the organ ceased;
but for an instant, however, and then they
swelled forth again. But there was a
break in the wonderful harmony. The un-
seen hands that struck the keys faltered,
struggled vainly to catch the lost chord in
the majestic march, then, in an agony of
despair, made discord, devilish in its
eerie wildness, and the music sank lower
and lower until, brokenly, it ended in
moan.
The same dread that held me when I
stood on the hillside beyond the village
lights seized me now as the organ stopped.
In the distance saw, between double lines
of eIementals, disk appear. From the
dull color of Roman gold it faded into a
pale pink; then it took for;., a face was
nodded in its uncertain light as it drew
near, and then-oh, Godl l saw beyond
the circle, my counterpart, my double, my
astral self, standing with outstretched
arms and staring, sightless eyes appealing
10 me for help!
1t was more than my brain could endure.
A fearful weight was pressing on my
temples; the Greek manuscript fell fran
my hand, and l CROPPED blindly for support.
felt that was falling, sparks of fire
flashed before my eyes; then all was dark
The statement of the faithful nurse in
Ward of st. GATHERINGS Hospital is cor
roborated by the resident physician, that
for se- en- weeks 1 struggled between life
and death during an attack of brain fever.
At the end of that time l awakened to con-
sciousness to find the range of my vision
filled with faint opalescent light. l was
totally blind. Three fingers of my left
hand had also been amputated at the second
joint, the result of severe burn the hos
pital people said. When l grew strong
enough DR.. Weyman, the resident physi-
clan, read to me this note:
Il followed and reached you just in time.
1 secured both original and translation.
By the time you are able to read this-if
you ever dol shall be on the Pacific. The |
money is subject TO your order in the bank
at M. Your left hand fell partly outside
the circle DR.. MAX."-G. v. Mccain, IN Pitts ]
burgh Bulletin.